Scott Adams, the creator of the once-popular satirical office comic strip Dilbert whose career collapsed after racist comments, has died. He was 68.
Adams had been living with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. The cartoonist’s death was confirmed Tuesday by his first ex-wife, Shelly Adams, in a video posted to his YouTube channel.
His death comes after Shelly had told TMZ that Adams had been receiving end-of-life care at home for the past week. She said that he had begun to experience some confusion, but still managed to record what he directly acknowledged might be one of his final YouTube videos.
At the start of the YouTube video she posted, Shelly said, “Hi everyone, unfortunately, this isn’t good news. Of course, he waited until just before the show started, but he’s not here with us anymore.”
Choking back tears, she went on to read Adams’ final message. “If you are reading this, things did not go well for me. I have a few things to say before I go. My body failed before my brain. I am of sound mind as I write this January 1, 2026. If you wonder about any of my choices for my estate, or anything else, please know I’m free of any coercion, or inappropriate influence of any sort — I promise.
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“Next, many of my Christian friends have asked me to find Jesus before I go. I’m not a believer, but I have to admit the risk-reward calculation for doing so looks so attractive to me, so here I go. I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and look forward to spending an eternity with Him. The part of me not being a believer should be quickly resolved if I wake up in heaven. I won’t need any more convincing than that. I hope I’m still qualified for entry.”
Born in 1957 in Windham, New York, Adams was famous for creating the popular comic strip Dilbert. Known for its satirical take on American corporate office culture, Dilbert was first published in 1989 and ran until 2023, when it was dropped from syndication by hundreds of U.S. newspapers after Adams went on a racist rant on his YouTube show.
He later revived his work under a subscription-based model and retitled it Dilbert Reborn.
Adams first announced his prostate cancer diagnosis last May, shortly after news broke that former President Joe Biden had similarly been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of the same disease.
“But, I’ve had it longer than [Biden’s] had it. Well, longer than he’s admitted having it,” he said at the time. “So my life expectancy is maybe the summer. I expect to be checking out from this domain sometime this summer.”
A staunch Donald Trump supporter and right-wing activist, Adams previously made a public plea to the president for help in accessing an experimental cancer treatment.
“My healthcare provider, Kaiser of Northern California, has approved my application to receive a newly FDA-approved drug called Pluvicto. But they have dropped the ball in scheduling the brief IV to administer it and I can’t seem to fix that. I am declining fast. I will ask President Trump if he can get Kaiser of Northern California to respond and schedule it for Monday,” the comic artist wrote on X in November.
Within hours of his post, Trump shared a screenshot of the message on Truth Social, replying: “On it!”
Trump has shared a tribute to Adams following news of his death, calling him a “great influencer.”
“He was a fantastic guy, who liked and respected me when it wasn’t fashionable to do so,” Trump continued on Truth Social.
“He bravely fought a long battle against a terrible disease. My condolences go out to his family, and all of his many friends and listeners.”
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